Vermont Governor Outruns Black Bears

Shumlin trying to protect birdfeeders

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Vermont governor Peter Shumlin was chased by black bears on Wednesday night as he tried to protect four birdfeeders hanging from a tree at his house in Montpelier, Vermont. Shumlin first tried yelling at the bears, then went outside to take the feeders down. As he retreated inside, the biggest of the bears charged and came within six feet. "I sleep like many Vermont boys, without too much clothing at night," Shumlin said. "The bottom line is: The bears were dressed better than I and they could have done some real damage." He offered the story as a warning to all Vermonters: always bring in your feeders before nightfall.

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Photo: Eli Duke/Flickr

Emperor Penguins Counted from Space

Census doubles previous estimations

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Scientists from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia on Friday released data that suggests the population of emperor penguins on Antarctica is twice as large as previously believed. The researchers used satellite technology to locate colonies, measuring droppings tallying individuals with high-resolution images. The study identified 44 major colonies, including seven that had been unknown, and counted 595,000 penguins. Climate models suggest that emperor penguin numbers could dwindle as warmer temperatures erode Antarctic ice floes. This is the first comprehensive species census conducted from space.

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Wesley Korir Photo: Jack Rosenfeld/Flickr

Cherop, Korir Win Hot Boston Marathon

Kenyans sweep women's and men's races

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Sharon Cherop and Wesley Korir overcame high temperatures to win the 116th Boston Marathon today in 2:31:50 and 2:12:40, respectively, leading a Kenyan sweep of the top three women's and men's places. Cherop, last year's third-place finisher, took a two-second victory over Jemima Sumgong with a hard surge in the final quarter mile. Korir, a Kenyan who graduated from the University of Louisville in 2008, was a surprise winner in the men's race after favorite and defending champion Geoffrey Mutai dropped out with cramps around mile 17. Boulder, Colorado, runner Jason Hartmann was the top American finisher, running 2:14:36 for fourth place. On Saturday, the Boston Athletic Association warned that hot weather could be dangerous for all but the fittest runners. Temperatures rose to the mid 80s by race time.

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Farallon Islands Photo: Jeff Gunn/Flickr

Search Suspended for Missing Sailors

Crew swept overboard at yacht race

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Four sailors are presumed dead after an accident Saturday at the Full Crew Farallones yacht race in San Francisco. Eight men were swept overboard when their boat, the Low Speed Chase, crashed into rocks. Three of the crew were rescued by helicopter and one body was recovered. The search for the remaining four sailors was suspended on Sunday night and will not resume on Monday. "We kept searching 12 hours past what we consider the survivability window," a Coast Guard spokesman said. Two of the three survivors were released from the hospital on Saturday and the third is being treated for a fractured leg.